“Who Can It Be Now?” is Men at Work‘s breakout hit. Though their follow up single, “Down Under,” was bigger and remains their signature song, “Who Can It Be Now?” paved the way by slowly breaking around the world. First, it was a #2 hit in their home country of Australia in the summer of 1981. Then, it was a Top 10 hit in Canada that winter. Because of its success in Canada, it was released in the US, eventually topping the Hot 100 over a year after it was released in Australia.
Of course, “Who Can It Be Now?” is most well-known for its vocal hook which is introduced by the saxophone at the very beginning of the song. It presumably takes some guts to drop the most iconic part of the song, but that’s what Jem Cassar-Daley decided to do for her latest performance for Triple J’s Like a Version series. Daughter of Australian country singer Troy Cassar-Daley, Jem has been releasing singles for half a decade and released her debut EP a few years ago. She’s also appeared on Triple J’s Like a Version before. (Like a Version is a bit like the Australian AV Undercover.)
So anyway, there is no saxophone. Instead, the song opens with acoustic guitar and wordless vocals. The pace is slower than the original. But no saxophone is hardly the only interesting choice. This version is a duet, with fellow Aussie Dan Sultan taking one of the verses. They are accompanied by backing vocalists and a full rock band, with Cassar-Daley’s piano the only keyboard. Perhaps the biggest surprise is the cello, which gets its own solo. The arrangement is a far cry from the ’80s.
It’s clearly a very heartfelt cover and it’s distinct enough to stand out while still being very recognizable despite the missing saxophone. Have a listen below:
